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Tatsi EB, Koukou DM, Dellis C, Dourdouna MM, Efthymiou V, Michos A, Syriopoulou V. Epidemiological study of unusual rotavirus strains and molecular characterization of emerging P[14] strains isolated from children with acute gastroenteritis during a 15-year period. Arch Virol 2023; 168:149. [PMID: 37129790 PMCID: PMC10151219 DOI: 10.1007/s00705-023-05769-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Rotavirus group A (RVA) is characterized by molecular and epidemiological diversity. To date, 42 G and 58 P RVA genotypes have been identified, some of which, like P[14], have a zoonotic origin. In this study, we describe the epidemiology of unusual RVA genotypes and the molecular characteristics of P[14] strains. Fecal samples from children ≤ 16 years of age with acute gastroenteritis (AGE) who were hospitalized during 2007-2021 in Greece were tested for RVA by immunochromatography. Positive RVA samples were G and P genotyped, and part of the VP7 and VP4 genes were sequenced by the Sanger method. Epidemiological data were also recorded. Phylogenetic analysis of P[14] was performed using MEGA 11 software. Sixty-two (1.4%) out of 4427 children with RVA AGE were infected with an unusual G (G6/G8/G10) or P (P[6]/P[9]/P[10]/P[11]/P[14]) genotype. Their median (IQR) age was 18.7 (37.3) months, and 67.7% (42/62) were males. None of the children were vaccinated against RVA. P[9] (28/62; 45.2%) was the most common unusual genotype, followed by P[14] (12/62; 19.4%). In the last two years, during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic, an emergence of P[14] was observed (5/12, 41.6%) after an 8-year absence. The highest prevalence of P[14] infection was seen in the spring (91.7%). The combinations G8P[14] (41.7%), G6P[14] (41.7%), and G4P[14] (16.6%) were also detected. Phylogenetic analysis showed a potential evolutionary relationship of three human RVA P[14] strains to a fox strain from Croatia. These findings suggest a possible zoonotic origin of P[14] and interspecies transmission between nondomestic animals and humans, which may lead to new RVA genotypes with unknown severity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth-Barbara Tatsi
- First Department of Pediatrics, Infectious Diseases and Chemotherapy Research Laboratory, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, "Aghia Sophia" Children's Hospital, Athens, 11527, Greece.
- University Research Institute of Maternal and Child Health and Precision Medicine, Athens, Greece.
| | - Dimitra-Maria Koukou
- First Department of Pediatrics, Infectious Diseases and Chemotherapy Research Laboratory, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, "Aghia Sophia" Children's Hospital, Athens, 11527, Greece
| | - Charilaos Dellis
- First Department of Pediatrics, Infectious Diseases and Chemotherapy Research Laboratory, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, "Aghia Sophia" Children's Hospital, Athens, 11527, Greece
| | - Maria-Myrto Dourdouna
- First Department of Pediatrics, Infectious Diseases and Chemotherapy Research Laboratory, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, "Aghia Sophia" Children's Hospital, Athens, 11527, Greece
| | - Vasiliki Efthymiou
- University Research Institute of Maternal and Child Health and Precision Medicine, Athens, Greece
| | - Athanasios Michos
- First Department of Pediatrics, Infectious Diseases and Chemotherapy Research Laboratory, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, "Aghia Sophia" Children's Hospital, Athens, 11527, Greece
| | - Vasiliki Syriopoulou
- First Department of Pediatrics, Infectious Diseases and Chemotherapy Research Laboratory, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, "Aghia Sophia" Children's Hospital, Athens, 11527, Greece
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Althof N, Trojnar E, Johne R. Rotaviruses in Wild Ungulates from Germany, 2019-2022. Microorganisms 2023; 11:microorganisms11030566. [PMID: 36985140 PMCID: PMC10058221 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11030566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Rotavirus A (RVA) is an important cause of diarrhea in humans and animals. However, RVA in wild animals has only scarcely been investigated so far. Here, the presence of RVA in wild ungulates hunted between 2019 and 2022 in Brandenburg, Germany, was investigated using real-time RT-PCR and sequencing of RT-PCR products. By analyzing intestinal contents, RVA-RNA was detected in 1.0% (2/197) of wild boar (Sus scrofa), 1.3% (2/152) of roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), and 2.1% (2/95) of fallow deer (Dama dama) but not in 28 red deer (Cervus elaphus) samples. Genotyping identified G3P[13] strains in wild boar, which were closely related to previously described pig and wild boar strains. Genotype G10P[15] strains, closely related to strains from roe deer, sheep, or cattle, were found in roe deer. The strains of fallow deer represented genotype G3P[3], clustering in a group containing different strains from several hosts. The results indicated a low prevalence of RVA in wild ungulates in Germany. Associations of specific genotypes with certain ungulate species seem to exist but should be confirmed by analyses of more samples in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadine Althof
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Max-Dohrn-Straße 8-10, 10589 Berlin, Germany
| | - Eva Trojnar
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Max-Dohrn-Straße 8-10, 10589 Berlin, Germany
| | - Reimar Johne
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Max-Dohrn-Straße 8-10, 10589 Berlin, Germany
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Wu H, Li B, Miao Z, Hu L, Zhou L, Lu Y. Codon usage of host-specific P genotypes (VP4) in group A rotavirus. BMC Genomics 2022; 23:518. [PMID: 35842571 PMCID: PMC9288207 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-022-08730-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Group A rotavirus (RVA) is a common causative agent of acute gastroenteritis in infants and young children worldwide. RVA P genotypes, determined by VP4 sequences, have been confirmed to infect humans and animals. However, their codon usage patterns that are essential to obtain insights into the viral evolution, host adaptability, and genetic characterization remained unclear, especially across animal hosts. Results We performed a comprehensive codon usage analysis of eight host-specific RVA P genotypes, including human RVA (P[4] and P[8]), porcine RVA (P[13] and P[23]), and zoonotic RVA (P[1], P[6], P[7] and P[19]), based on 233 VP4 complete coding sequences. Nucleotide composition, relative synonymous codon usage (RSCU), and effective number of codons (ENC) were calculated. Principal component analysis (PCA) based on RSCU values was used to explore the codon usage patterns of different RVA P genotypes. In addition, mutation pressure and natural selection were identified by using ENC-plot, parity rule 2 plot, and neutrality plot analyses. All VP4 sequences preferred using A/U nucleotides (A: 0.354-0.377, U: 0.267-0.314) than G/C nucleotides across genotypes. Similarly, majority of commonly used synonymous codons were likely to end with A/U nucleotides (A: 9/18-12/18, U: 6/18-9/18). In PCA, human, porcine, and zoonotic genotypes clustered separately in terms of RSCU values, indicating the host-specific codon usage patterns; however, porcine and zoonotic genotypes were partly overlapped. Human genotypes, P[4] and P[8], had stronger codon usage bias, as indicated by more over-represented codons and lower ENC, compared to porcine and zoonotic genotypes. Moreover, natural selection was determined to be a predominant driver in shaping the codon usage bias across the eight P genotypes. In addition, mutation pressure contributed to the codon usage bias of human genotypes. Conclusions Our study identified a strong codon usage bias of human RVA P genotypes attributable to both natural selection and mutation pressure, whereas similar codon usage bias between porcine and zoonotic genotypes predominantly attributable to natural selection. It further suggests possible cross-species transmission. Therefore, it warrants further surveillance of RVA P genotypes for early identification of zoonotic infection. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12864-022-08730-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Wu
- Department of Epidemiology, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety (Fudan University), School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Bingzhe Li
- Department of Epidemiology, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety (Fudan University), School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Ziping Miao
- Institute of Communicable Diseases Prevention and Control, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, 310052, Zhejiang, China
| | - Linjie Hu
- Department of Epidemiology, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety (Fudan University), School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Lu Zhou
- Department of Epidemiology, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety (Fudan University), School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Yihan Lu
- Department of Epidemiology, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety (Fudan University), School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
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Sadiq A, Bostan N, Aziz A. Effect of rotavirus genetic diversity on vaccine impact. Rev Med Virol 2022; 32:e2259. [PMID: 34997676 DOI: 10.1002/rmv.2259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Group A rotaviruses (RVAs) are the leading cause of gastroenteritis, causing 0.2 million deaths and several million hospitalisations globally each year. Four rotavirus vaccines (RotarixTM , RotaTeqTM , Rotavac® and ROTASIIL® ) have been pre-qualified by the World Health Organization (WHO), but the two newly pre-qualified vaccines (Rotavac® and ROTASIIL® ) are currently only in use in Palestine and India, respectively. In 2009, WHO strongly proposed that rotavirus vaccines be included in the routine vaccination schedule of all countries around the world. By the end of 2019, a total of 108 countries had administered rotavirus vaccines, and 10 countries have currently been approved by Gavi for the introduction of rotavirus vaccine in the near future. With 39% of global coverage, rotavirus vaccines have had a substantial effect on diarrhoeal morbidity and mortality in different geographical areas, although efficacy appears to be higher in high income settings. Due to the segmented RNA genome, the pattern of RVA genotypes in the human population is evolving through interspecies transmission and/or reassortment events for which the vaccine might be less effective in the future. However, despite the relative increase in some particular genotypes after rotavirus vaccine use, the overall efficacy of rotavirus mass vaccination worldwide has not been affected. Some of the challenges to improve the effect of current rotavirus vaccines can be solved in the future by new rotavirus vaccines and by vaccines currently in progress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asma Sadiq
- Department of Biosciences, Molecular Virology Laboratory, COMSATS University, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Nazish Bostan
- Department of Biosciences, Molecular Virology Laboratory, COMSATS University, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Aamir Aziz
- Sarhad University of Science and Information Technology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Sarhad University, Peshawar, Pakistan
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Islam A, Hossain ME, Rostal MK, Ferdous J, Islam A, Hasan R, Miah M, Rahman M, Rahman MZ, Daszak P, Epstein JH. Epidemiology and Molecular Characterization of Rotavirus A in Fruit Bats in Bangladesh. ECOHEALTH 2020; 17:398-405. [PMID: 32876756 PMCID: PMC7464061 DOI: 10.1007/s10393-020-01488-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Revised: 07/07/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Rotavirus A (RVA) is the primary cause of acute dehydrating diarrhea in human and numerous animal species. Animal-to-human interspecies transmission is one of the evolutionary mechanisms driving rotavirus strain diversity in humans. We screened fresh feces from 416 bats (201 Pteropus medius, 165 Rousettus leschenaultii and 50 Taphozous melanopogon) for RVA using rRT-PCR. We detected a prevalence of 7% (95% CI 3.5-10.8) and 2% (95% CI 0.4-5.2) in P. medius and R. leschenaultii, respectively. We did not detect RVA in the insectivorous bat (T. melanopogon). We identified RVA strains similar to the human strains of G1 and G8 based on sequence-based genotyping, which underscores the importance of including wildlife species in surveillance for zoonotic pathogens to understand pathogen transmission and evolution better.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariful Islam
- EcoHealth Alliance, 460 West 34th Street, Suite 17, New York, NY, 10001, USA
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
| | - Mohammad Enayet Hossain
- International Centre for Diarrheal Diseases Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Melinda K Rostal
- EcoHealth Alliance, 460 West 34th Street, Suite 17, New York, NY, 10001, USA
| | - Jinnat Ferdous
- EcoHealth Alliance, 460 West 34th Street, Suite 17, New York, NY, 10001, USA
- Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), Mohakhali, Dhaka, 1212, Bangladesh
| | - Ausraful Islam
- International Centre for Diarrheal Diseases Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Rashedul Hasan
- International Centre for Diarrheal Diseases Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Mojnu Miah
- International Centre for Diarrheal Diseases Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Mustafizur Rahman
- International Centre for Diarrheal Diseases Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Mohammed Ziaur Rahman
- International Centre for Diarrheal Diseases Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Peter Daszak
- EcoHealth Alliance, 460 West 34th Street, Suite 17, New York, NY, 10001, USA
| | - Jonathan H Epstein
- EcoHealth Alliance, 460 West 34th Street, Suite 17, New York, NY, 10001, USA.
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Owor BE, Mwanga MJ, Njeru R, Mugo R, Ngama M, Otieno GP, Nokes DJ, Agoti CN. Molecular characterization of rotavirus group A strains circulating prior to vaccine introduction in rural coastal Kenya, 2002-2013. Wellcome Open Res 2019; 3:150. [PMID: 31020048 PMCID: PMC6464063 DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.14908.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Kenya introduced the monovalent Rotarix® rotavirus group A (RVA) vaccine nationally in mid-2014. Long-term surveillance data is important prior to wide-scale vaccine use to assess the impact on disease and to investigate the occurrence of heterotypic strains arising through immune selection. This report presents baseline data on RVA genotype circulation patterns and intra-genotype genetic diversity over a 7-year period in the pre-vaccine era in Kilifi, Kenya, from 2002 to 2004 and from 2010 to 2013. Methods: A total of 745 RVA strains identified in children admitted with acute gastroenteritis to a referral hospital in Coastal Kenya, were sequenced using the di-deoxy sequencing method in the VP4 and VP7 genomic segments (encoding P and G proteins, respectively). Sequencing successfully generated 569 (76%) and 572 (77%) consensus sequences for the VP4 and VP7 genes respectively. G and P genotypes were determined by use of BLAST and the online RotaC v2 RVA classification tool. Results: The most common GP combination was G1P[8] (51%), similar to the Rotarix® strain, followed by G9P[8] (15%) , G8P[4] (14%) and G2P[4] (5%). Unusual GP combinations—G1P[4], G2P[8], G3P[4,6], G8P[8,14], and G12P[4,6,8]—were observed at frequencies of <5%. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the infections were caused by both locally persistent strains as evidenced by divergence of local strains occurring over multiple seasons from the global ones, and newly introduced strains, which were closely related to global strains. The circulating RVA diversity showed temporal fluctuations both season by season and over the longer-term. None of the unusual strains increased in frequency over the observation period. Conclusions: The circulating RVA diversity showed temporal fluctuations with several unusual strains recorded, which rarely caused major outbreaks. These data will be useful in interpreting genotype patterns observed in the region during the vaccine era.
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Affiliation(s)
- Betty E Owor
- Epidemiology and Demography, KEMRI Wellcome Trust Research Program, Kilifi, Kilifi, 80108, Kenya
| | - Mike J Mwanga
- Epidemiology and Demography, KEMRI Wellcome Trust Research Program, Kilifi, Kilifi, 80108, Kenya
| | - Regina Njeru
- Epidemiology and Demography, KEMRI Wellcome Trust Research Program, Kilifi, Kilifi, 80108, Kenya
| | - Robert Mugo
- Epidemiology and Demography, KEMRI Wellcome Trust Research Program, Kilifi, Kilifi, 80108, Kenya
| | - Mwanajuma Ngama
- Epidemiology and Demography, KEMRI Wellcome Trust Research Program, Kilifi, Kilifi, 80108, Kenya
| | - Grieven P Otieno
- Epidemiology and Demography, KEMRI Wellcome Trust Research Program, Kilifi, Kilifi, 80108, Kenya
| | - D J Nokes
- Epidemiology and Demography, KEMRI Wellcome Trust Research Program, Kilifi, Kilifi, 80108, Kenya.,School of Life Sciences and Zeeman Institute for Systems Biology and Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Warwick University, Coventry, Coventry, CV4 7AL, Kenya
| | - C N Agoti
- Epidemiology and Demography, KEMRI Wellcome Trust Research Program, Kilifi, Kilifi, 80108, Kenya.,School of Health and Human Sciences, Pwani University, Kilifi, Kilifi, 80108, Kenya
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Owor BE, Mwanga MJ, Njeru R, Mugo R, Ngama M, Otieno GP, Nokes D, Agoti C. Molecular characterization of rotavirus group A strains circulating prior to vaccine introduction in rural coastal Kenya, 2002-2013. Wellcome Open Res 2018; 3:150. [DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.14908.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Kenya introduced the monovalent Rotarix® rotavirus group A (RVA) vaccine nationally in mid-2014. Long-term surveillance data is important prior to wide-scale vaccine use to assess the impact on disease and to investigate the occurrence of heterotypic strains arising through immune selection. This report presents baseline data on RVA genotype circulation patterns and intra-genotype genetic diversity over a 7-year period in the pre-vaccine era in Kilifi, Kenya, from 2002 to 2004 and from 2010 to 2013. Methods: A total of 745 RVA strains identified in children admitted with acute gastroenteritis to a referral hospital in Coastal Kenya, were sequenced using the di-deoxy sequencing method in the VP4 and VP7 genomic segments (encoding P and G proteins, respectively). Sequencing successfully generated 569 (76%) and 572 (77%) consensus sequences for the VP4 and VP7 genes respectively. G and P genotypes were determined by use of BLAST and the online RotaC v2 RVA classification tool. Results: The most common GP combination was G1P[8] (51%), similar to the Rotarix® strain, followed by G9P[8] (15%) , G8P[4] (14%) and G2P[4] (5%). Unusual GP combinations—G1P[4], G2P[8], G3P[4,6], G8P[8,14], and G12P[4,6,8]—were observed at frequencies of <5%. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the infections were caused by both locally persistent strains as evidenced by divergence of local strains occurring over multiple seasons from the global ones, and newly introduced strains, which were closely related to global strains. The circulating RVA diversity showed temporal fluctuations both season by season and over the longer-term. None of the unusual strains increased in frequency over the observation period. Conclusions: The circulating RVA diversity showed temporal fluctuations with several unusual strains recorded, which rarely caused major outbreaks. These data will be useful in interpreting genotype patterns observed in the region during the vaccine era.
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